The project at a glance
In 2023 I was invited to work with the last remaining pupils at Great Gidding School in the final weeks before it closed its doors after 177 years.
We shared memories and favourite moments from their time at the school and decided to capture them in textile panels. Each young person hand stitched a panel showing a memory that meant something to them.
I taught them to quilt and they used a sewing machine to join the panels together into one large quilted banner. We also worked their old school uniforms into the banner and cut some of them up to make small mementos for them to take home. Along the way we talked about reusing materials and I taught them rag rugging to make their mementos. We also made school bunting for them to hang up at home.
So they learnt hand stitching, machine sewing and rag rugging :)
The finished quilted banner now hangs in the local church so the school and its memories can still be seen.
